Mike Wesch is the educator of the moment. If you haven't already, watch his Youtube Videos http://www.youtube.com/user/mwesch (Michael C agrees) (roseg agrees)
Primary School teacher and blogger using google and other innovative tools in classrooms and often speaking about his experiences to large groups. Could be a nice tie in to the "Clouds" theme possibility.
Clive Shepherd is a consultant specialising in the application of technology to learning and communications at work. With more than twenty five years of experience in this field, Clive is acknowledged as a thought leader in the UK in all aspects of technology-assisted Iearning and blended learning.
Cheryl (SA)
Professor Martin Westwell Director, Flinders Centre for Science Education in the 21st Century, Flinders University http://tinyurl.com/55ucxr
I saw him at the CEGSA conference last year where he was the keynote speaker and he was fantastic http://cegsa.editme.com/mwestwell I believe he also spoke at an educationAU thing too. He was very interesting and it was a great presentation.
Cheryl (SA)
Tom Barratt
I like Rhys's suggestion about Tom. He is doing some really innovative stuff over in England. I was lucky enought to meet him when he was here a couple of months ago. Lovely bloke. He has also been involved with lots of PD for staff and some conference type things (I can't remember the name of it right at this minute).
Julian is heavily involved with elearning and Moodle. He did a few presentations at MoodleMoot and I wondered about him as one of the invited speakers(I didn't get to see any but I heard great things about him - he would be great to do some more advanced workshops on Moodle, eg, Themes etc)
I must admit that I've not heard him speak :) He works in Education Development for Otago Polytechnic, and specialises in social media and networked learning (http://learnonline.wordpress.com/)
Howard Errey
Michelle Martin
have always thought michelle would be very relevant for our sector - using online tools for career development. her Blog theme the Bamboo Project: http://michelemartin.typepad.com/thebambooprojectblog/ might also tie in with Elena's theme above!
willing to consider sharing costs with Victorian conVerge conference. no dates set as yet
Co-founder of School of Everything. Talks about practical, imaginative responses to future scenarios. Inspired by deep thinkers and storytellers such as Ivan Illich, John Berger and Alan Garner.
Robin P (Tas)
Cathy Moore
Cathy is learning designer that focuses learning for business outcomes Her blog is http://blog.cathy-moore.com/ has also just released tool to help with with Learning Design. She would be great in terms helping teachers and developer with learning design in practical non academic ways. Cathy would great for helping teams with learning design. She would be good person to have tour Australia early in the year.
Jay Cross
Cross is the "guru" of informal learning and this informal learning the goes beyond RCC. He is great speaker.
Kathy Sierra
Kathy's is the mind behind the best selling Head First Series of books. This series of books focus on complex technical things like java programming. She make this fun and engaging There is more information about Head First at http://headfirstlabs.com/. She talks a lot about brain based learning and she used to blog at headrush.typepad.com/ also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathy_Sierra. She talks a lot tech related events and is great speaker.
met her in NZ on a TALO trip in 2006 - excellent mind, very engaging personality - i like her focus on thinking and learning and systems (rather than technophile).
These are all people connected with the Open Education movement and might be good to consider. I've had a listen to Alec Couros on podcasts and he seems like a good speaker. David Wiley is a very high profile person within the Open Ed movement.
Mark Hunwicks heard him at the recent Blended Learning conf in Melbourne and said he could listen to him for hours - eloquent, engaging, stimulating. Talks about brain behaviour in the process of learning (similar maybe to Martin Westwell above), and apparently dismisses notions of Gen X and Y.
a very good speaker according to Jim (does anyone else know anything about her?); currently involved with Kew Gardens (London) on a mobile learning project.
v high profile social media commentator and academic; author of the wonderful Here Comes Everybody; probably beyond our budget but we could check.....; v good speaker (Stop Press: releasing a new book late 09 and is committed to US 'book tour' later in the year)
Fasttrack Consulting
http://www.fastrak-consulting.co.uk/
http://clive-shepherd.blogspot.com/
Director, Flinders Centre for Science Education in the 21st Century, Flinders University
http://tinyurl.com/55ucxr
http://www.moodleman.net/about-moodleman
willing to consider sharing costs with Victorian conVerge conference. no dates set as yet
larry lessig
http://hooked-on-thinking.com/
met her in NZ on a TALO trip in 2006 - excellent mind, very engaging personality - i like her focus on thinking and learning and systems (rather than technophile).
Christine Geith
Alec Couros